In an image-reading lens used for a facsimile machine, an image scanner, or the like which forms reduced or enlarged original images on an imaging element, it is required to minimize aberrations, particularly the lateral color and the curvature of field. In addition, reduced weight and price are also desired, and it is expected that the number of lens elements will be reduced to as few as possible. Further, it is required that a lens material be used that has ease of processing for mass-production.
As an image-reading lens satisfying the above-noted properties and having a simple configuration, a triplet-type glass lens has recently become dominant. However, the lens is expensive; thus, there has been a demand for a lens having lower manufacturing costs and better performance. Since a light-weight lens is also in demand, an image-reading lens having two lens elements and including an aspherical surface has been recently proposed. However, although such an image-reading lens is lighter and cheaper than a triplet-type design, there are some problems with its properties.
First, in the case of an image-reading lens having only two lens elements, it is difficult to simultaneously correct the curvature of field and lateral color. In order to correct the curvature of field, it is necessary to use a nitric material with a refractive index so as to reduce the Petzval sum. On the other hand, in order to correct lateral color, it is necessary to use a nitric material having a large Abbe constant for a convex lens element In a two lens element image-reading lens, it is difficult to select a nitric material which can minimize the curvature of field and at the same time minimize the lateral color. And, such nitric materials as are suitable are extremely expensive and not very durable. As a result, a recently proposed two lens element image-reading lens is suitable only if the light from the light source is nearly monochromatic. Even if such a two lens element image-reading lens can be made sufficiently durable, the correction of both aberrations win inevitably become inadequate as the light becomes more polychromatic.
Regarding the selection of lens materials, it is generally preferable to use plastic in order to reduce the weight of the lens and to minimize cost. Since an aspherical surface is used in the two lens element image-reading lens, plastic is advantageous for processing. However, plastic depends heavily on temperature, so that there is the problem in that a two lens element image-reading lens of plastic has unstable properties. Considering only temperature dependency, glass may be used as the material of the lens elements; however, the use of glass precludes reducing the weight and cost of the image-reading lens.